Hind's Kidnap

Hind's Kidnap follows Jack Hind, a tall New Yorker who becomes re-entangled in a six-year-old kidnapping case he once tried to solve. The trail begins when a mysterious note appears in his mailbox, leading him on a complex path through New York and New England. The novel traces Hind's investigation while revealing his past - including his unusual upbringing by an appointed guardian, his inheritance, and his failing marriage to Sylvia. His work life consists of recording a radio show called "Naked Voice" and occasional teaching at a college. The narrative centers on the unsolved disappearance of Hershey Laurel, whose parents are now deceased and whose case was abandoned by police years ago. Hind's renewed pursuit takes him through a series of planted clues and locations, though their relevance to the kidnapping remains unclear. The book explores themes of obsession, memory, and the human tendency to seek patterns and meaning in disconnected events. Through Hind's fixation on both the kidnapping case and various minutiae of daily life, McElroy examines how past events shape present perception.

Readers describe this as a complex, demanding novel that requires multiple readings to grasp. Many readers abandon it partway through, struggling with the dense prose and non-linear storytelling. Readers who completed it praise: - The intricate puzzle-like structure - Rich descriptions of 1960s New York City - The layered mystery elements - McElroy's unique syntax and language experiments Common criticisms: - Impenetrable writing style - Unclear plot progression - Too many characters to track - Excessive length at 500+ pages One reader on Goodreads notes: "Like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle in the dark." Another calls it "brilliant but exhausting." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (41 ratings) Amazon: 3.0/5 (4 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.5/5 (12 ratings) The book has limited reader reviews online, with most discussion appearing in academic literary criticism rather than consumer reviews.

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace Complex narrative structure and interconnected plotlines mirror McElroy's layered exploration of obsession and pattern-seeking through multiple timelines.

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon A woman's investigation into a mysterious organization leads her through a maze of clues and conspiracies in California, echoing Hind's pursuit of cryptic signs.

City of Glass by Paul Auster A detective story turns into an investigation of identity and meaning as the protagonist follows leads through New York City's streets.

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov The structure combines academic commentary with personal narrative to create a puzzle about truth and interpretation similar to Hind's search for meaning.

The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall A man pieces together his identity through mysterious messages and cryptic clues while being pursued through a conceptual underworld.

🔍 "Hind's Kidnap," published in 1969, was Joseph McElroy's second novel, following his debut "A Smuggler's Bible" (1966). 📻 The "Naked Voice" radio shows mentioned in the novel were inspired by actual experimental radio programs of the 1960s that focused on unedited, raw human expression. 🌆 McElroy wrote much of the novel while living in Brooklyn Heights, drawing heavily from the neighborhood's atmosphere and architecture to create the book's detailed urban landscapes. 🎭 The protagonist's unusual height was partially inspired by McElroy's interest in how physical characteristics can shape a person's perspective and their interactions with the world. 📚 The novel's intricate structure influenced later postmodern writers, particularly in its innovative approach to time and memory, earning it recognition as a significant work of 1960s experimental fiction.